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Sunday, May 23, 2010

IRISH SOCER STARLET LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AFTER FREAK INJURY

Republic of Ireland defender Shane Duffy has had life-saving surgery after suffering a freak accident in a training match on Friday night.

The Everton teenager sustained a laceration to his liver after colliding with Irish amateur team goalkeeper Adrian Walsh at Malahide.
After being attended to on the pitch, he was rushed to the nearby Mater Hospital for an emergency operation.
On Saturday night Duffy was making good progress in a recovery unit.
Team surgeon Professor John O'Byrne said: "Shane collided with a player in a way that you would see thousands of times in football match.
"It was a freak injury that in another 100 years of medicine, we may never see again.
"The intensive care staff in the Mater must be credited for their expertise, in particular surgeon Gerry Mc Entee (former Meath footballer) and fast response which in no uncertain terms saved Shane's life.
"Shane was stabilised in intensive care after the surgery which stopped internal bleeding."
The 18-year-old, who switched to the Republic having played for Northern Ireland youth teams, had been scheduled to remain with Giovanni Trapattoni's senior squad, solely for training purposes, ahead of friendly clashes against Paraguay and Algeria.
However the IFA in Belfast, have lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try to prevent the Republic from stealing "their" player and until the Court delivers its ruling this summer, the lad cannot play for the full Republic side.
Though it must be stressed that his health is the main thing at the moment, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.